EXPEDITE CONSTRUCTION

HOUSE Independent Minority bloc leader Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez urged the government to expedite the construction of houses for the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda.

The lawmaker made the appeal after a fire broke out in one of the tent cities in Tacloban City wherein a woman and her six children died.

Romualdez called on the administration to prioritize and fast-track the construction of new homes for the survivors of the tragedy before more of them die or get hurt in the tent cities and shelters they live in.

About hundreds of families live in tent city in Bgy. San Jose, Tacloban City for seven months now after the super typhoon struck the province on November 8, 2013..

“I call on the Aquino Government to at least give equal priority to the rehabilitation of Yolanda victims, especially in Leyte,” Romualdez said.

The solon lamented the construction of new shelters moving at a snail’s pace and the lack of reports on when the construction will start.

“But if it’s about the Napoles list and the pork barrel scam suspects, especially if the suspects are from the opposition, we read or hear about it in the media every single day,” he said .

According to Romualdez, the rebuilding of houses for the victims, as well as improving their lives, is as important as Napoles’ case and therefore the government should prioritize fast tracking the program.

“Especially since Yolanda survivors are victims too of the pork barrel scam, having been part of those who had paid the taxes and government fees which was stolen through the fraud,” Romualdez stressed.

Romualdez said the Minority bloc will initiate a House inquiry into the government’s rehabilitation efforts for the Yolanda victims.

“With emphasis on where are, and how the rehabilitation funds plus the thousands of tons of relief goods spent or disbursed. Yolanda victims definitely do not deserve this very low priority from the government,” Romualdez said.

TACLOBAN REHAB BEING RUSHED

WITH or without Pope Francis’ visit to “Ground Zero” in Tacloban City, rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts are being rushed to avoid future fires that killed seven Yolanda survivors, mostly children.

Reports earlier said that Pope Francis is set to visit the country on January next year for a personal look on the devastation brought by Yolanda and see the victims of the super typhoon.

Coloma disputed claims that red tape and slow rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts caused the death of a mother and her six children in a fire that hit a tent community for Yolanda survivors in Tacloban.

“We must acknowledge the breadth, depth and complexity of the task at hand, and it would not be responsible to simply blame government because this is something that can be empirically determined,” Coloma told Palace reporters.

Coloma said the Palace was saddened upon learning of the said news, even as he said that President Benigno S. Aquino III wants to ensure more responsive system, including safety precautions being implemented at the temporary shelters like the Tent City, as well as the well being and safety of the dwellers.